Forever in Love
by Meadow Wood
Summary: 'He cried for the days before, when life and death were far concepts, far in the distance and all that mattered were their aspiring dreams coming true.' Suffering the tragedy of his two best friends, Brock pays yet another numb visit to the cemetery.


Forever in Love

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Meadow Wood

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**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Pokémon**

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It was a dark day.

Clouds, gauzy and gray swirled around in the pale sky, eerie and mystifying with a hint of rain to come. The Pokémon hid, some in bushes and some in tree branches, and some even in the depths of ground holes. The air smelled like soil and moss. The trees were ashen, looking nearly black and a feeling of perpetual death lingered around the secured burial area.

The graveyard was quiet that very early morning.

The only sound to be heard around the vast cemetery was the footsteps of a young man in his early twenties, his thick rimmed boots crunching under the dead leaves of autumn. His spiky hair hung damp over his eyes from the shower he'd taken that sunrise and his hazel eyes burned with remorse. The sparkle that had once been in them lost for eternity. Overtop his defined muscles was a jacket two sizes too small for him, an arrange of the colours green and orange. Such simple colours and such a simple vest, yet they brought back so many memories.

"A-are you hanging on alright Pikachu?" Brock spoke in a voice so soft that it was nearly a whisper, carried and swept away by the wind, along with his scent of aftershave. The tanned breeder shifted the bag on his shoulder, looking down at the yellow mouse tittering beside him.

Pikachu didn't reply, but its yellow tail swished in response. His pointy ears drooped incredibly and his black eyes, usually so challenging had a sheer shine in them. Tears had filled already.

Clamping his mouth shut, Brock resisted to doing the same. His heart ached in a way that it never had before and a seriousness that was way too mature for his age had taken over his composure. The two companions, mouse and man, walked silently down the gravelly pathway, the occasional scent of damp stone skimming their noses.

Gravestone after gravestone blurred their vision, passing them with a sensation of car accidents and world disasters and incurable diseases. Wild flowers draped over almost every single one had petals disheveled and curling at the ends. It was a mournful sight and Brock was sure he heard the distinct muffled crying in the distance.

Quickening his speed, the boy was getting frantic to reach the destination he had come for and to return home in the peace of his home and several brothers and sisters – they served as a distraction from the hollow pain that would never go away. Feeding, cleaning and cooking for them kept him busy and stopped him from have buzzing reminders of everything he had lost.

With his throat stinging, Brock knees shook inside his trousers and his lips quivered. He pressed them into a straight line, glancing up with a glassy look in his eyes. He could see the biggest tree, the tree that marked where their gravestones were, standing high upon a hill. It was large and jangly, with branches sticking out like fugitives and bronze leaves floating quietly and slowly down to the weedy grass.

"Look Pikachu, It's right up there." The aspiring breeder said his voice cracking as he bent down and scooped the sniffling mouse into his arms. The silk yellow fur pressed against his arms, tickling his caramel skin. His heart pounded and he heard thunder shake the sky. The rain was coming.

Speeding up his pace, he was almost jogging now towards the tree, fighting tears. He felt wetness on Pikachu's cheeks and knew the mouse was crying hard, unable to contain himself no more. Brock shivered as he felt a raindrop touch his nose.

They were just five paces away. Already, he could see the outline of the two gray stones, side by side.

Four paces away.

Three paces.

Two.

Brock exhaled loudly, his entire body quavering with the effort of holding back his tears as he approached the pillars. Both stood side by side, dull and gray yet containing a secret glimmer that others seemed to miss. Dust had gathered over the years and little bugs crawled over them. Dead twigs scattered the ground around the two stones.

Brock buckled to his knees, dropping in front of the gravestones with shaking apprehension. Pikachu was curled against his body, sobbing his little heart out to the point that the electric-Pokémon was trembling.

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Brock turned to look at the first pillar. His throat caught immediately and his eyes burned. Roses and white flowers surrounded the entire gray marker, almost overflowing with burden and grief. He hugged himself. Written in beautiful cursive on the front, in a deep carving read;

_Ash Ketchum_

_1995 – 2012_

_A beloved son and a friend to many, will be greatly missed. He will forever be in our hearts._

Brock stared at the words in lost hope and faith, watching them blur and disappear. He clenched his fists, nails digging into the palms of his hands. Everything turned to nothing and he felt salt in his mouth and wetness on his cheeks.

It took him a moment to realize he was crying.

With a shudder, he sobbed hard, wretched sounds coming from his strangled tears. His body trembled and shook in his terrifying inner misery. He pressed his face against Pikachu's, his tears dissolving and starting up again constantly. Over and over and over again.

It was raining steadily now.

With all the effort he had in him, he turned to face the gravestone beside Ash's. It was the same colour and the same style, and the smell of old plastic and dirt drifted around. Silky bouquets and shed tears surrounded the pillar, a forgotten cigarette butt hidden between the layers of burnt leaves.

_Misty Waterflower. _

_1994 – 2012_

_A loved sister of three, served as a gym leader to Cerulean and will be missed dearly._

In the silence of agony and tragedy, Brock cried. He cried for the loss of his two best friends, who had been so enthusiastic and young, and he cried for Pikachu and Delia and everyone else that was suffering like him. Most of all, he cried for himself and the churning and queasiness in his stomach that would never leave him.

Lastly, he cried for the days before, when death and life were far concepts, far in the distance and all that mattered were their aspiring dreams coming true.

Up in the sky, the clouds separated, revealing a light blue and the sun dipping gently over the horizon. Orange and purple glowed among the trees and the rain slowly pattered to a ceased stop. The graveyard remained as dark and gloomy as ever, but Brock knew his time was up.

Tears still streaming down his face and hands still trembling, he reached into his backpack. He fingers shook as he shuffled around, trying to find something. Pikachu was now on his lap, eyes closed in coursing loss. Finally, Brock's hand grasped a cool metal plank.

Pulling it out, he wiped his stray tears and constricted his throat. His eyes still burned and his heart was still numb, but for now, he would be okay.

Gently pushing a few silk flowers aside, the breeder placed the plank onto the grass, right in between Ash and Misty's gravestones. The golden metal shone against the newfound sunlight, bright against the dim grayness of everything else. It seemed to symbolize hope and life and love, something that the world lacked in places like this.

"Let's go Pikachu," Brock finally said, his voice solemn and clear.

Standing up, his ankles brushing against the grass, he turned away from his two best friends. He looked towards the large stone gate, the exit to his freedom. With stiff steps, he walked away. He walked away from the burnt leaves and the smell of damp stones. He walked away from the darkness and the lost life of gravestones.

He walked away from his best friends.

But just as he was, he turned around for a moment. His eyes shone, and for the first time in what felt like years, a faint smile inched across his face. He squinted at the golden plank he'd placed between his two friends, still glowing amongst everything else. His eyes narrowed in on the words engraved perfectly on the complete metal and his heart calmed as he read the words once more.

_Forever in Love._

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**Author's Notes: **That's right. I tried my hand at a tragedy. I don't think it was completely heart-wrenching but it wasn't half bad in my opinion. But hey, it's not my opinion that counts here. It's the readers. Anyways, I was going to actually work on my incomplete chaptered stories this morning when I suddenly just got this idea and I had to do it. Besides, I've never really written a full out tragedy and I really wanted to try it. I even made my brother put on sad, depressing classical music on while I wrote. Yep, I was getting pretty serious. Plus, I wrote this in one sitting. So anyways, please review! It will be greatly appreciated, and…

HAPPY WRITING!


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